guinea pig frightened

[Lcgoldminer]

Hello everyone,
I am a new guinea pig owner, I got Buttercup from someone that really wasn't interested in owning a guinea pig, she isn't that old, probably 3 or 4 months old. Since I have had her, she has been so frightened of everything, that I can't enjoy her. I try to get her out everyday and hold her and try to make her feel secure, but she is not interested in me at all. It takes me forever to catch her, she runs away from me. I am afraid that I am traumatizing her even more by trying to catch her. What do I need to do to help her relax, and not be so afraid of me, I really do love her very much. Not sure what to do

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome!

Great of you for taking on an unwanted piggy. The best thing you can do for her in the long term is to either get her a same sex friend of any age or a neutered boar (but I think that those are pretty rare where you live); once she has company, she will feel automatically much happier and more secure! guinea pigs are group animals and not really wired to be kept on their own. http://www.guinealynx.info/companionship.html
This is a link to a guinea pig rescue in Cincinnati: http://www.guinealynx.info/rescue_organizations.html#OH

Here are tips on how to deal with skittish piggies: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=36239

What you can try is to teach her to come into a pick up conveyance to beat the flight instinct. A tunnel of some sort, an upturned house or pigloo, a padded cardboard box with one side cut off or even a folded towel will do. Piggies Talk constantly as soon as you come into the room, praise your little girl lots and do not stoop over her.

Best of luck!